Sunscreen for kids....Help please

ULTIMATEgrafx

ULTIMATEgrafx

Just Call Me Christi
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I posted this in the social group but I will post it here too in case there is some type of medical professional that can offer help as well....

OK my son is a redhead, fair skin, burns like crazy!!! Even with sunscreen, it happened today, what sunscreen do you guys use? The kids are in the pool every day and my smallest one, she tans like a pro, , even with heavy sunscreen, but the ones I am using lately don't seem to work so I thought I would ask you guys what you use? What spf seems to work? Is there an unwritten rule as to how often I should re-apply when they are swimming?
 
I have to use a Paba free sunblock on my son. I think it's Banana Boat. We use 50 spf or higher. I never had a problem with it. What SPF are you using?
If they are swimming I reapply after they come out and are dried off. They can go back in but the sunscreen needs to be reapplied.
 
Also, you don't have to answer ALL of my questions, if you can only answer one, that is one better than I had before, thanks!
 
I am a red head also and I have never used sunscreen but for my kids i use Bannana Boat with the highest Sp number i can find and i reapply it every hour. Also when i do get burned i use aloe to sooth it. I hope this helps.

MisBB
 
My daughter and I are very fair skinned and I usually use CopperTone for Kids. I think it is 50 spf. It seems to work very well in my opinion.
 
Waterbabies (or Bullfrog in a pinch) all the way. Waterbabies also has a stick for the face which in my house prevents whining from drips into the eyes. No burns with Waterbabies and you can practically read through our skin we are so fairLOL!!
 
arthritix said:
Real Simple has this to say:http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1184200,00.html
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I use this, it is good for faces but it's tiny, I wouldn't reccomend it for the whole body or you would be buying a ton of sunscreen! I have been using a 70 spf and my kids are still getting burned and tanned, both bother me! The stuff I was using claimed it was waterproof so I thought I had nothing to worry about. I also see now there is an 85 spf out, if that was like cement kind of waterproof I would surely buy it! I guess what I need is something super waterproof, I have really been slathering it on them and it just doesn't work and I wonder if it is something I may be doing wrong. I let them swim early morning between 7am and 10 am and then late evening after the sun goes down, around 8 pm, my son burns really bad, the others tan like crazy, the burn is painful to him and I don't want my girls aging quickly, I try to protect their skin from the sun to prevent pre-mature aging when they get older, so what could I be doing? The sunscreen is brand new so it isn't expired, I am just clueless.
 
I have Irish blood in me so me and my daughters are very fair. We use Coppertone Waterbabies SPF 50 in the spray. I love it and so far so good. I have been using it for 2 summers and no sunburns (knock on wood). Before that I used the Coppertone Waterbabies lotion in the pink bottle. I think that was SPF 45.
 
I wouldn't trust the claims of 'waterproof' at all. Be sure to apply at least 30 minutes to one hour prior to going out in the sun and then reapply every couple of hours. I burn very easily as well and found that the only real way to keep the damage away was to use SPF50 and then wear a long-sleeved shirt...even during the summer. I'd rather be more warm, and slightly uncomfortable, rather than having to nurse a nasty burn and blister.
 
There is something you can eat (please not the sunscreen ;)) that is supposed to help protect skin, but I can't think of it at the moment.
I'll go look at my books and get back w/ you about it.
 
A broad tip Sharpie marker will work for the whole summer.
 
diGriz said:
A broad tip Sharpie marker will work for the whole summer.
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And they come in many colors. There's even a tan one that would look like a nice suntan.
 
i use coppertone sport, which is supposed to be sweatproof. it sprays on and i've had good luck with it- as much as i sweat, that's saying a lot (i'm one of those ewww gross people who sweat a lot and you never want to touch them)!! i think it's spf 50.
 
We always use the ones mentioned, the Coppertone in the pink can and the sport one in the Blue can-but we don't usually burn easy (maybe because I'm a sunscreen pusher). But-I've heard the Blue Lizard one mentioned does come highly recomended by the medical community. Did you ask your family Dr. or Pediatrician?

Also I've read in several places that these ultra high spf's are useless. There a max spf that's effective and I can't remember what it is but I want to say 60. Don't forget you've got to figure how long this is for you. If you burn in 5 minutes then w/spf 30 you'd have 30 x 5 or 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours). Allowing time for the next coating to work you'd have to apply around every 2 hours. Or after swimming or sweating...

Also protective gear-hat's etc. One Step Ahead (catalogue) has spf sunwear clothing. It's a bit pricey, you may be able to find something less expensive or it may just be worth it (especially if you have enough kids to pass it down a couple times).
 
Oh for the good old days when you got a really good sunburn on the first day of summer, it healed into a tan and that tan just got darker all summer long.
I worked with my Dad (a brick mason) from the time I was 10 until I graduated college. In the summer we ALWAYS worked shirtless. This was in South Mississippi, the average temp was about 101.
It was a family business, my Dad, Uncle and brother all worked this way and none of us had any problem with skin cancer.
 
DanC said:
Oh for the good old days when you got a really good sunburn on the first day of summer, it healed into a tan and that tan just got darker all summer long.
I worked with my Dad (a brick mason) from the time I was 10 until I graduated college. In the summer we ALWAYS worked shirtless. This was in South Mississippi, the average temp was about 101.
It was a family business, my Dad, Uncle and brother all worked this way and none of us had any problem with skin cancer.
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Dan,
Isn't it true?!! You sounded like my Dad who is great for saying "I am glad I grew in time when everything didn't kill ya!"LOL
 
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